


Dorothy and Mr Stetson

by Shorina



Category: Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Genre: AU, F/M, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 18:59:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11857674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shorina/pseuds/Shorina
Summary: This is a possible scenario how Amanda and Lee might have met if she had been the agent instead of him. How would Lee cope if he was suddenly introduced into the world of secrets and spies?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Babie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babie/gifts).



> Dear Babie,  
> you only mentioned this possibility in brackets, but I liked the idea of a role reversal. So here's my idea of how things might have developed for Amanda the agent and Lee the civilian. I hope you'll enjoy it!

“I've lost sight of him,” Francine's voice said in Amanda's ear.

“I've got him,” Amanda whispered into her sleeve as she strode through the vast park, never taking her eyes off her aim while pretending to be out for a casual stroll on a sunny day.

When her target sat down on a bench, she knew she needed a similar opportunity. Lingering would draw attention to her and no one else had followed into the park so she couldn't pass the trailing duty on. The only other bench within sight of her target was occupied by a jogger checking his pulse.

Without hesitation she slid onto the bench next to him. “You don't mind, do you?”

The jogger turned to look at her and shook his head. An attractive man, Amanda had to admit, though she didn't have time to check him out too closely. But her training allowed her to register the basics from just a brief glance. Mid thirties, dark hair, tracksuit, white sports shoes, seemingly fit. Either that, or he had been sitting for a while already, he didn't seem out of breath. And he had very white teeth, she noticed when he smiled at her.

“Not the least,” the jogger said.

Amanda only nodded and kept glancing past him, though not directly at her target.

“Lovely day. Taking a stroll during your break?” The jogger tried to make conversation, half turning to her.

“Something like that,” Amanda said. “Can you stay like that for a moment?” She dug in her handbag for her camera. A large one with a big zoom would have drawn too much attention, so she was carrying a small pocket camera.

Her target had gotten company on his bench by now; seemingly by a homeless person dressed in a dirty and torn suit. But Amanda knew the style, her own agency was likely to overdo the rags-look, too. 

“Why?”

The innocent question of the jogger made her look away from her target for a moment. Why? She couldn't tell him that he was hiding her and the camera perfectly from her target, could she? Sometimes being bold was the best approach. “I'm a private investigator and my client thinks the man on the other bench is selling business secrets. I just need to take a photo or two of him and his contact and you're hiding me from his view. So if you could stay in that position for a moment, you'd be doing me a great favor.”

The jogger's eyes widened with surprise, but he didn't move nor object when she lifted her camera to take photos across his shoulder.

“You don't exactly look like a private eye. But I guess that's the purpose of the disguise?”

Yes, she'd heard that before, but it was true. She often was dressed more like a housewife, and the mother she was, than the stereotypical agent, but it was a great disguise. No one who saw her thought 'agent'. And she was comfortable in the clothes. 

“Exactly.”

She had to give the jogger credit, he didn't flinch or turn to look for her target. In fact, he never seemed to take his eyes off her.

“It must be an interesting job. Much more interesting than giving tennis lessons.”

A tennis trainer? Well, that explained the man's seeming level of fitness.

“Oh, it can be very boring. Hours of stake-out, just sitting in your car, waiting for something to happen.”

“Every job has its good and bad sides, I guess.”

“Absolutely,” Amanda agreed.

“So what do you do for fun?”

“Oh, there's always something to do. I don't get bored easily. My boys keep me on my toes.”

The man's smile faded a little, though he tried not to let it show. Was he disappointed? “You're married?”

“Divorced. My husband just couldn't cope with the demands of my job.” She wasn't sure why she was telling him about it, but it really didn't matter. He was just a random stranger.

“Working odd hours, I guess. So who's looking after your kids?”

“My mother, God bless her. I couldn't do it without her.”

“You're lucky to have her, then.”

“Oh, I am.”

He cleared his throat. “Look, if she could look after your boys some evening, maybe I could take you out for dinner?” He offered her an encouraging and thus distracting smile. “I'm Lee, by the way, Lee Stetson.” He held out his hand.

“Amanda –“ She broke off there as her target had gotten up and was on the move. “Sorry, I've got to go. It's been good to meet you and thanks for being my cover.” She quickly stood, put her camera back in her bag and strode off.

“He's on the move, heading for the west exit,” she whispered into the mic in her sleeve as she continued following her target at a distance.


	2. Chapter 2

“Amanda, we have a problem. Willis can't accompany you to the party at the Embassy tonight.” Billy said.

“What happened?” It had to be something serious if her colleague had to cancel a job they'd been preparing for a week and a half.

“Appendicitis. He's in hospital.”

Amanda winced.

“We have no one else who can accompany you. You'll have to find someone outside the agency who won't ask too many questions.”

“And who'll draw attention away from me, if I have to do the work of two.”

“Ideally,” Billy agreed. “And idea?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Good. Who is it?”

“Someone I met the other day. He actually asked me for a date.”

“So he's not been checked. We can't take any risks, Amanda.”

“Oh, I have checked him,” she admitted a little sheepishly. Lee Stetson had left an impression with her that she couldn't shake, so she had first tracked down his place of work, then his home address and finally ran a background check on him. She wasn't really allowed to do that with private acquaintances, but sometimes she could be notoriously bad at following rules and orders. Just sometimes, she kept telling herself.

“I won't ask why. If you're sure he's safe, see if he's available.”

“Yes, Sir.” She checked her watch. “He'll be at the court at this hour.”

“Court? What is he – a lawyer?”

“A tennis coach.”

Billy shook his head. “Never mind. Just make it work somehow. I'm counting on you.”

Amanda went up to her own office to make the call. At the court they put her on hold while they called Mr Stetson to the phone.

“Stetson?”

“Mr Stetson? It's Amanda King, we met in the park the other day?”

“Amanda! Yes, of course. How did you find me here? Oh, wait, private eye, I'm sure you have sources that can get you such information.”

“Yes. Look, why I'm calling. I know this is sudden, but would you still like to go out? I have an invitation to a party tonight and no date.” She winced at her choice of words. “It's a business thing and my planned escort suddenly became ill.”

“Tonight? That is sudden. Let me see... my last lesson is at 4:30. When does your party start?”

So he was willing to come! “At seven.”

“That sounds good. Business you said? Is there a dress code?”

“A tuxedo would be perfect, but any dark suit will be fine.”

“No problem, I have a black suit.”

“Great. I'll pick you up at six thirty at home?”

“You know where I live, too?”

“No,” Amanda lied. “But I was hoping you'd tell me if I offer to pick you up.”

“Of course,” Lee laughed and gave her his address, which she already knew.

“See? Perfectly positioned, half an hour before the party will work just fine. And thank you, I really appreciate it on such short notice, Mr Stetson.”

“Lee, please.”

She smiled, though he couldn't see it, picturing his bright smile in return. “I'll see you at six thirty, Lee.”

“I'm looking forward to it, Amanda.”


	3. Chapter 3

At six thirty on the dot, Amanda pulled up in front of the condo Lee lived in. He was already waiting for her, looking very smart in a black suit and tie.

The car she was driving came out of the agency's motor pool, her station wagon just wouldn't do for the occasion.

Lee approached the car and stooped to peer inside. Amanda leaned over and opened the door. “Hello Lee,” she greeted him and received a bright smile in return. 

He opened the door and looked her up and down as he got in. “You look beautiful,” was the first thing he said.

Amanda blushed a little. “Yes, quite a different look from what I was wearing in the park the other day.”

“It suits you, tough now I wonder where we're going if you're going to blend in. This is about your work, isn't it?”

“Yes it is.” She was about to put the car in gear but decided against it and turned to face him. “Look, I really ought to be straight with you. I'm not a private investigator. I work for a secret government agency.”

Lee looked at her for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether she was having him on.

“The party we're attending tonight is at the Italian embassy. I'm supposed to meet a contact there who has important information to pass on.” She omitted telling him that her contact's identity likely had been leaked and thus their meeting could turn out to be dangerous. She'd have to be very careful.

“And where do I come into play?” Lee finally asked.

“I need you to draw attention away from me, so I can meet up with my contact.”

“And I'm supposed to do that how?”

“Oh, just mix and mingle.” She had a strong suspicion the women at the party would soon cluster around this good-looking individual and thus would draw the attention of their ' _forgotten_ ' husbands and dates to him as well.

Amanda finally put the car into gear and drove off.

“You're really an agent?” Lee asked after mulling over what she had told him for a minute or two.

“Yes.”

“And your kids?”

“What about them?”

“You're really a mother?”

“Yes. Though Philip and Jamie think I'm just a secretary.”

“And you asked me to accompany you tonight because, once again, I'll make a great cover for you.”

Was she imagining it or did he sound hurt? “You're perfect for the job,” she assured him.

“So this isn't really a date.”

“I told you it was a business party.”

“Yeah, you did.” He fell silent for a while.

“Still, there must be plenty of other men you could have asked.”

Not really. “You were the first one I thought of, and as I said...”

“I'm perfect for the job. I hope you'll still think so once this party is over. What am I supposed to talk about with those people? I've got very little in common with politicians and ambassadors.”

“I'm sure many either play or are interested in tennis,” Amanda reassured him.

He glanced at her skeptically, but said nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

Lee's worries had been unnecessary. Smartly dressed in his suit, his blinding smile drew in the ladies. Amanda felt a small pang of pity for him as yet another old hag approached him, touching his arm, trying to draw his attention.

Amanda had no time to pity him for long, though. She was here on a mission and her eyes were constantly scanning the party crowds, looking for her contact. While she knew who to hold out for, her contact had no such luck. All he knew was to hold out for a woman, a fact her handle “Dorothy” – named after the character from the Wizard of Oz, not her mother – gave away. To make it easier for him to spot her, she was wearing red shoes, and, as she had noted with relief, she was the only one to do so.

To give her contact a chance to spot her, she climbed up several steps of the main staircase. The position offered her a very good overview of the crowd and her contact a possible glimpse at her shoes. Hopefully he was familiar with the story.

After a few minutes during which she hadn't been able to find the face she was holding out for, she returned to the party, pretending to sip on her champagne, offering smiles left and right as she walked from room to room.

“Dorothy with the red shoes,” a whisper suddenly sounded behind her. “A nice touch.”

Amanda nodded but didn't turn around. “I hoped you'd appreciate it. What have you got for me?”

“Did you notice the vase on the side table, directly underneath where you stood on the stairs? They did an exceptional job with the arrangement, you really need to see it.”

“Oh, I love flowers, I'll definitely check them out.”

She waited for another word but within the hubbub of the party, only silence met her ear from behind. She turned a little, as if just taking in the party crowds, and found the spot where her contact must have been standing was vacated.

Had the man already made the drop? She wasn't sure so she decided to give him a few minutes and went in search of Lee. He wasn't hard to spot, as she only had to follow the gloomy glances of a group of men. Lee was at the center of attention of at least half a dozen women of different ages. Yes, he'd been a great choice for the job, he was drawing a lot of attention, just like she'd intended.

And yet, seeing that smile of his aimed at the women surrounding him made her feel – maybe not jealousy, but rather a sense of longing. A longing for that smile to be aimed at her.

She pushed her way through to him. “Here you are! I haven't had a chance to dance with you all evening, darling.” She reached for his hand and pulled him away amid a mix of longing looks aimed at Lee and scathing ones aimed at her. 

Lee muttered some excused as she led him away but breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the dance floor. “Thanks for coming to my rescue. I feel like they all wanted a piece of me. At once.” 

“I'm sorry about that, but it worked perfectly. My contact has been in touch.”

“So at least it was worth it.” 

Lee turned out to be a very good dancer and Amanda thoroughly enjoyed the way he led her across the floor in a waltz.

Before the dance was over, a scream sounded through the embassy and for a brief moment stunned silence reigned, before shouting erupted everywhere around them.

“What happened?” Lee asked, trying to see anything above the heads of the surrounding party crowd.

“Nothing good, that much is for sure. Time to leave.”

“Already?” Lee sounded surprised. “If something has happened, shouldn't we wait for the police?”

“This is Italian territory, our police have no jurisdiction here,” she explained while she dragged him through the crowd.

When they reached the hall with the staircase, she immediately spotted the flowers her contact had referred to. Amanda looked around. The security guards at the door had all but one vanished, presumably to investigate the reason of the screams and shouting. How lucky she was, one she could deal with.

“See those flowers on the side table underneath the stairs? Grab the vase and run. I'll take care of the guard.”

“What?”

“Just do it. Grab the vase and run.”

Without providing any further explanation to Lee, Amanda walked towards the guard, hoping Lee would do as instructed. She had to trust him to do so.

As she neared the guard, she purposefully stumbled and, as expected, the man rushed to steady her. She giggled. “Oh my, thank you. I might have just,” she held her thumb and forefinger close together in a gesture of 'a little', "overdone it with the champagne.”

The guard steadied her but said nothing.

Amanda eyed the stairs outside. “Would you be a darling and help me down there?” She looked at him with puppy eyes. “If I can't cross an even floor safely, I'm not sure stairs are a good idea.”

The guard looked indecisive for a moment, but then took her arm. “Of course, Signora.”

Amanda giggled again. “Signora, oh, that sounds so lovely coming from a big, strong man like you.”

Once they were down the stairs, the poor guard very suddenly didn't feel big and strong any longer, instead his body was overtaken by a very intense pain originating in his very private parts. He first doubled over, then fell to his knees, groaning in agony. 

Amanda was about to head back up the stairs to look for Lee when he came rushing out the door, the vase firmly pressed to his chest.

“This way!” Amanda directed him to the car, fumbling for the keys in her clutch. She had parked outside the designated area to forego the valet service. You just couldn't make a quick exit if you had to wait for someone to move a dozen cars until he could get to yours and bring it to you.

She opened the rear door. “Put the vase in the back and get in!”

Lee did as instructed while Amanda rushed to the driver's side and got in behind the wheel just as new shouts were emerging from the embassy. The guard had probably managed to alert his colleagues. Time to get away.

“Better buckle up,” Amanda instructed as she put the car into gear and put her foot down on the accelerator.

Lee did as instructed, but then the questions burst out of him. “Someone was killed in there, but that wasn't you, was it?”

“No, but I think I know who was killed.”

“Your contact?”

She nodded grimly.

“What's the vase got to do with that?”

“He hid something in it for me and I didn't have time to search for it.”

Lee turned in his seat to look at the vase, but instead his attention was drawn to a pair of headlights on fast approach.

“I think we're being...”

“Followed. Yes. They likely searched my contact, and not finding what they were looking for, put one and one together.”

“And realized that the one making the speedy get away probably was in possession of whatever they were looking for?”

“Exactly.”

“So why didn't we just wait instead of drawing attention to us?”

“I wasn't keen on ending up like my contact. They'll have been watching him. And though they apparently missed his making the drop, there's a good chance they saw him talking to me.”

Lee said nothing for a moment, instead he slid down in his seat to check the progress of their pursuers in the side mirror. They were still gaining on them.

“Good idea,” Amanda said, watching him from the corner of her eyes. “Keep your head down.”

Lee seemed about to ask why, but the sound of glass breaking behind him made him change his mind. “They're shooting at us?!”

That didn't need commenting. Amanda sped up, trying to put more distance between them and the following car, but they quickly adjusted. Another shot hit the car, though this time no window. The bullet hit metal somewhere.

Amanda made a sudden turn to the left, just ahead of oncoming traffic. Their pursuers briefly slowed to let the other car pass, then sped around the same corner, tires squealing in protest.

Lee cast another glance in the mirror. “They're gaining on us again!”

“Hold on to something,” Amanda instructed through clenched teeth and twisted the wheel around sharply for another sudden turn. As soon as she could take one hand from the wheel, she cut the lights and took another turn, then another, speeding through dimly lit side streets.

Lee steadied himself with one hand against the dashboard and twisted in his seat to hold out for the other car. It was hard to tell if they were still following them with the many turns Amanda was taking. He never could study one street for long before they were heading down yet another.

After five minutes, Amanda slowed down and parked the car at the side of the road. She was breathing hard from the physical demands of forcing the car around corner after corner at far too high speeds and the concentration it required in the dark.

Lee, on the other hand, seemed full of energy. Adrenaline-rush, Amanda thought.

“I was right!” He said triumphantly.

Amanda looked at him, both hands still firmly clutching the wheel. “About what?” She forced her eyes away from street and mirrors for a moment to look at him.

“In the park I said your job must be much more interesting than mine. You can't seriously still try to tell me it isn't!”

“Thankfully my job isn't always like this. You'd me amazed how much paperwork there is involved.” She already dreaded the reports this evening would require her to write.

Lee studied her, noticing how exhausted she seemed. “Do you want me to take over?”

Amanda shook her head. “I'm fine.”

“You're exhausted.”

“I can deal with it.”

“You don't have to, though.” His voice sounded much more gentle now, concern for her replacing the prior excitement.

Amanda looked at him for a long moment, then checked the mirrors again and finally released the wheel. “Alright, you can drive us back to your place.”

“To my place? Shouldn't we get this thing,” he pointed at the vase in the rear that had stayed in tact, but shed its flowers during the pursuit, “to safety somewhere?”

He didn't wait for her reply but unbuckled and got out of the car, walking towards the driver side.

Amanda couldn't help smiling at his eagerness. He had adjusted to the situation much more easily than she had expected. When he opened her door, she got out and for a moment they stood very close with only the open door separating them. Then Amanda mentally shook herself and stepped away. “I'll get it to safety as soon as I know you're safely back home.”

Lee slid in behind the wheel, adjusted seat and mirrors to his liking, and waited for Amanda to get into the passenger seat.

“If whatever is hidden in the vase is important enough to kill for it, it ought to take priority,” he stated as soon as Amanda was seated. “So where do we take it?”

Amanda was torn. Yes, the information was important and should take priority. On the other hand, she shouldn't bring outsiders into the agency. She wouldn't be in this position if Willis was with her. Oh well, special circumstances sometimes required you to cast away the rules.

She sighed. “Two things: You're waiting in the hall while I drop this off to our specialists.”

Lee nodded his agreement. “No problem. And what else?”

“You're signing a confidentiality agreement forbidding you to tell anyone about my agency's cover, location – just not anything.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

Amanda nodded. “OK then. I'll give you instructions as soon as I figured out where we are. Just – drive.”

“I know this street. Just tell me where we need to go and I'll find the way.”

She gave him the address of IFF and buckled her safety belt.

They drove in silence for several minutes, Lee concentrating on finding his way through the dark city and Amanda frequently checking for possible pursuers. She found none, though, they had managed to shake their tail.

“I'm sorry about your car. But I guess your agency will pay for the repairs?”

“It's not mine, it came out of the agency's motor pool,” Amanda explained.

“Oh, lucky for you then.”

“This time, yes. I'm afraid my car's had enough repair jobs that it's likely every part has been swapped out by now.”

Lee briefly looked at her. “Is your job that dangerous?”

Amanda smiled. “No, sometimes it's just bad luck. Someone running a red light crashing into your car... though financially it's better for me when it happens on the job as the agency covers the repairs in that case.”

Lee offered her one of his wide smiles in return and they finished the rest of the drive in companionable silence.


	5. Chapter 5

Lee had been pacing the small entrance hall of IFF's headquarters for what felt like half of the night when Amanda finally showed up again.

“Sorry for taking so long, but my boss had a ton of questions.”

Lee smiled at her despite his discomfort. The receptionist had kept eyeing him with obvious disapproval. He hadn't dared loosen his tie under her stern eye. “No problem. It was important, right?”

“Right. As is this.” Amanda presented him with the confidentiality agreement. It was surprisingly brief, but Lee soon realized why. It simply forbade him from anything and everything as far as the agency was concerned, without even mentioning the agency. Instead it referred to the IFF-cover. 

“Just sign here and we can go.” She held out a pen to him.

He read the agreement once more and signed. Amanda realized Lee was left-handed. Why had she missed that before? It hadn't been important, that was why. But the more time she spent around this man, the more did she want to know everything about him. And for once it wasn't professional curiosity. Something about him fascinated her.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when Lee presented her with the signed agreement and the pen. “There. I know nothing.”

Amanda nodded, took the items and passed them on to the receptionist. “Would you please send those down? Thank you so much.”

Without waiting for a reply, she reached for Lee's arm and propelled him towards the door.

Outside he turned to her. “She's a little frosty, isn't she?”

“Part of her job, she is to deter people who stride in, mistaking the IFF for a real company. But I think she's been doing it for so long, she sometimes forgets who's friend and who's foe.”

Lee grinned. “She must be terribly good at her job. She's got something of a very stern school teacher.”

Amanda nodded. “She is good. That's why she's been doing the job for so long already.”

Lee followed Amanda to her Station Wagon. “This is your car?”

“Yes. It goes quite well with my usual style, don't you think? I don't dress up like this too often.”

“Maybe you should. You look stunning in that outfit.”

“I must look terrible after tonight.”

“Not the least.”

Amanda studied his face, trying to tell if he was trying to flatter her, but he seemed sincere. “Thank you,” she finally said and unlocked the car. “Get in, time to finally get you home.”

Lee got in on the passenger side this time. Amanda seemed fitter again so he was fine with letting her drive.

“I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess,” Amanda said after a while. “I put you in danger.”

“If whatever information your contact passed on is as important as you say, it was worth it. And hey, I now know what an embassy looks like from the inside!” He joked.

He was really taking it in his stride, Amanda was impressed. “Still, this is not a situation I should be dragging civilians into. You're not trained for this kind of thing.”

“Did I handle myself that badly?”

Amanda glanced at him. “No, not at all.”

Her reply seemed to please Lee. “So, maybe...”

“Maybe what?”

“Maybe you'll need help again some day, and, well, you've obviously got my number and address.”

“No. No way. I've put you in enough danger as it is.”

“Shouldn't that be my decision?”

“No, it shouldn't. You have no idea what you're talking about.”

“After tonight? I've fled from a party at an embassy with information someone had just been killed for, I've been in a high-speed chase through Washington's streets and been shot at. And yet you think I have no idea what I'm talking about? Come on, Amanda.”

“Yes, and you handled yourself very well tonight, but you don't know half of the dangers and demands of my job.”

“And of course you can't tell me about them.”

“Of course.”

Lee turned to look out of the side window at the lights of shops and homes seemingly rushing past them when, in fact, they were standing perfectly still.

“Well, just keep it in mind. I have already signed that confidentiality agreement now, so you might just as well make use of me.”

“Don't hold your breath.”

“At least that's not a strict no.”

Amanda sighed. Why were some people so keen to rush into danger? It was the part of her job she liked least. She had two boys who relied on her after all. Surely other people had someone who was counting on their safe return home at day's end?

She decided to change the topic. “We're nearly there.” 

“Yeah.” 

“You'll probably want to get some sleep as soon as you can. I hope you don't have an early class tomorrow? Today,” she corrected herself, glancing at the clock in her cockpit.

“I don't think I'll get much sleep after all this excitement.”

“I'm sorry.”

“I'm not.”

Amanda pulled up in front of his condo. “Well, here we are anyway.”

Lee said nothing for a moment, then he turned. “Look, Amanda, there's something I've wanted to do all evening, and if this really is good bye, then...”

He didn't finish the sentence, but instead leaned over to her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

She didn't pull away. She didn't hesitate. She didn't think. She just reached for his face and cupped his cheek with her hand as she returned the kiss.

Their kissing intensified until Lee pulled back, grinning at her while gulping in some much needed air. “I make a really good coffee,” he finally said. "And I don't know how far you still have to go. Maybe you'd like a cup before you head home?”

“Coffee sounds like a really good idea,” Amanda replied, “as long as I can use your phone while you make it. I should leave a message for mother, telling her I'll be home later than expected.”

That sounded like a teenager needing to explain to her parents why she wouldn't be home on time, but Lee remembered Amanda's mother was looking after her sons. “My phone is your phone,” he promised and reached for her hand to give it a brief squeeze.

“In that case, coffee it is.” If there would be coffee at all. She might have been out of the dating scene for a while, but the message behind the offer of coffee was clear.

They got out of the car and quietly entered the building. Lee only smiled at her in that way that was starting to make her knees go week while they rode up to his apartment in the lift, but it was enough to make her heart beat faster.

Once they were inside his apartment, though, Lee pulled her into his arms, held her close and she pressed herself against his body as they kissed in earnest. When she was out of breath, Amanda pulled her head back, gulped in some air and remembered there was something she ought to do. “Phone?” She asked.

Lee nodded and reluctantly released her from his arms. “Over there.” He pointed in the direction.

Amanda checked her watch. “Mother will be asleep by now, so I'll just leave a message on the machine. This won't take long.”

Her mother wasn't in bed, though. Having stayed up late to watch a movie on television, she had fallen asleep on the sofa and was now woken by the phone. Thus Amanda had to quickly come up with a more detailed explanation for why she wouldn't be home until morning than she had planned for. But if her job had taught her one thing, it was to think on her feet.

By the time she hung up, the aroma of fresh coffee hung in the air. Lee had been busy. She followed the smell to its source and found Lee, now without jacket and tie, his shirt-sleeves rolled up, pouring two mugs of coffee. He smiled when she came in.

“Sorry, I woke mother up and she'd make a really good interrogator.”

Lee laughed. “Well, this way we're getting coffee after all. I hope you really wanted some?”

“It's very welcome, thank you.” She accepted the mug he held out to her with a smile.

“I've got milk and sugar if you want any,” he offered, but she waved a hand in denial. “Black is fine at this hour.”

Lee watched her as she took a careful sip from the mug, then reached for his own coffee. 

They drank in silence, neither of them knowing what to say, nor feeling the need to fill the silence with meaningless words. 

Amanda was leaning against his kitchen counter and Lee joined her. They were standing close enough to sense the heat the others body was giving off. They finished their coffees like that and then just stood there, enjoying the proximity of the other one.

“You really do make good coffee,” Amanda finally said, breaking the silence.

“I'm glad you liked it.”

“Did you mean what you said in the car?”

“Which of it? No, wait, it doesn't matter. I meant all of it.”

She smiled at him. “Good.”

“Which of it?” He asked again.

“All of it.”

Lee laughed and pulled her into his arms. “So, any chance I can convince you to let me help you out again?”

“Oh, so that's why you invited me up! You're trying to bribe me with coffee!” She quipped.

“Maybe,” Lee said and kissed her. “Maybe not.”

“Not?” She asked between kisses.

“I might try to bribe you in other ways. Or not to bribe you at all.”

His hands found the zipper on the back of Amanda's dress. “No matter which course of action I decide upon, I think you're a little overdressed for the kitchen of a mere tennis coach.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the lack of smut, but I'm seriously bad at writing het smut, so I'll leave that part to your imagination. Hopefully I set the scene well enough for your imagination to take over from where I left off. :-)


End file.
